How would you log your users in automatically?

deezzer

Hi. I've got a basic website where users log in. here's what happens.

user registers
user is sent a confirmation email
when clicked on the confirmation email, the user is confirmed.

once the user clicks on that confirm button on the site though, i'd like the user to be automatically logged into the site and start using it, without them having to log in...

What is the best way?

Thanks

rebelo

Well, that's pretty straight-forward. After the confirmation has been validated, the program will, I would expect, have access to the user's UserID and other related account info from the database. So, just pass the required details to the function which normally authenticates logins, but instead of validated credentials, just skip to the part where you set session vars and shit and then use a header() to reload the page so the user is logged in and running...

From the way you asked your question, I bet you're wanting a far more specific answer than that, but with the information you've provided, none can be given.

deezzer

oh yeah, i've already tried echoing the variables for username and password into my log in page, but it doesn't seem to pick up the variables...

ps. please explain to me like i'm a 5 year old, cause that's about how old i am in php years...(if that makes any sense..)

deezzer

Hey what's up rebelo, when you say pass the required detail to login, will i have to open up the database, read from the user's table and insert those values into the username and password fields of the html?

rebelo

I can't give you any more detailed answer without more details on your own part. I'd need to see the code involved to know what functions are being used, what variables are needed, etc.

Of course, I get paid to do that for a living during the days, so you're going to have to put some effort into this one yourself and start reading the manual.

deezzer

I tried doing this:

it did not work.

Am i thinking along the right lines?

and yes, i've searched through the manual, it doesn't have a feature on automatic logins. Can someone please help? Thanks

deezzer

in the final version, i would replace input type='text' to 'hidden'..but i can't seem to retrieve the username and password...should i be posting in the newbie section?

pedlar

unless you are actually posting the username in the previous form you wont get anything from your $_POST['username']. this probably explains why you aren't getting any text when you try to echo the username and pass to the boxes.
also, does your site use cookie authentication or does it use sessions to know that a user is actually logged in?
if it uses cookie authentication i suggest that you just set the cookie after he clicks the confirm button and then redirect him to the first page that he would want to use under your site.

i'm iffy on sessions, so i can't really say too much there.

deezzer

Thanks Pedlar. just have this idea of my users fill out the least possible fields as possible.

The new user has never logged in before, so i dont understand how cookies would log him in... I

I was thinking, after he clicks the confimation link on the site, it will then call a php script that will
1. connect to the database, based on his user id, fill in the username and password and log him in
2. direct them to the page where i want them to be.

how's this sound?

rebelo

deezzer wrote:
Thanks Pedlar. just have this idea of my users fill out the least possible fields as possible.

The new user has never logged in before, so i dont understand how cookies would log him in... I

I was thinking, after he clicks the confimation link on the site, it will then call a php script that will
1. connect to the database, based on his user id, fill in the username and password and log him in
2. direct them to the page where i want them to be.

how's this sound?

It sounds like you need to do a bit more studying because that's a very easy thing to do but you clearly don't understand the concepts involved. If you're expecting someone to just write you the code to do it, you're in the wrong place. This place is for getting help when you make a legitimate effort to do it yourself.

Until you start doing some reading in the php manual or a good book, such as Programming PHP on Oreilly press, you're not going to get anywhere.

deezzer

Hi rebelo, you are absolutely right, i don't clearly understand the concept involved. I do admit, i am still new to this site and php. I should post in the newbie section.

But you are assuming several things:
1. that i do not put effort into reading books and manuels
2. that i expect someone to write the code for me.

These assumptions are wrong, because i am reading all i can, and trying all i can also. Look at the time posted, i'm losing sleep trying to figure this out. I do not expect answers, but perhaps a direction would be nice.

One day, i will be a master php programmer like yourself and get paid to help newbies, but till then, i'm trying to make things happen and needed some direction in what i want to do, because no manuel so far has told me how to log in users automatically in a safe and accurate way.